


A Work in Progress

by CherryblossomBucks



Category: Being The Elite (Web Series), Professional Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: M/M, codys there for a little while but not enough to warrant a character tag, post-KOPW 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryblossomBucks/pseuds/CherryblossomBucks
Summary: How do you make sure that your boyfriend understands that you are giving him the silent treatment when his other two boyfriends are unnecessarily loud Americans? Kota Ibushi believes he has it figured out.Or; Kota is petty after the three-way match at King of Pro Wrestling and the Bucks go along with it, until they don't.





	A Work in Progress

**Author's Note:**

> what do u mean kopw was over a month ago? surely you jest
> 
> dialogue in italics means its being said in Japanese!
> 
> many thanks to teagreens for being my beta yet again!!

It starts when they get back to the locker room. 

Kota is leaning on both Matt and Nick as they enter, despite having been okay on his own when they left the press area. They set him down on one of the benches and go to turn away, but Kota keeps hold of their shirts, stopping them.

“Hey,” Matt says, touching Kota’s shoulder. “We have to go make sure Kenny makes it back too.”

Kota only shakes his head, tugging slightly at both of their shirts. Matt and Nick falter, looking at each other and then at Cody who is over by his own bag, before Nick sits down on the bench.

“Alright, I guess if you need help walking you’ll need help with the rest.”

Kota doesn’t let go of Matt however, and the two of them are left to stare at him, unsure of what to do.

“Um. Kota,” Matt starts, but Kota cuts him off, tugging on his shirt again.

“Stay. Both.”

Once again they stay silent for a while, before Matt turns to get Cody’s attention.

“Cody, would you mind going and seeing if Kenny needs any help?”

Cody looks back at them before nodding and heading towards the door to the locker room. “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

Matt joins Kota on the bench as Cody leaves in search of Kenny. “Are you okay? Like, do we need to get you checked out by a trainer or something?”

“Yeah, some of the stuff you guys did out there looked pretty scary.” Nick starts prodding lightly at spots all over Kota’s body, and it takes Kota a second to realize that they’re probably places where he took hits. He doesn’t really remember the specific moves of the match so much as the feelings of it.

He doesn’t feel like he’s injured anything though, so he shakes his head. “ _I’m fine._ Stay.”

Matt and Nick share another look, before Matt slides down to the floor in front of Kota with a shrug. “If you say so.”

Nick’s touches have changed into lingering strokes, and Matt looks up at Kota for permission before he starts removing his gear. Kota wonders how often Kenny’s been in the position he is in now – enough times to make it a habit, most certainly.

The thought of Kenny brings a glower to Kota’s face, the sting of betrayal still fresh and painful. The temptation to push the Bucks away and hurt them like Kenny hurt him tonight aches like an old wound, at war with his desire to take every ounce of love they give him and bask in it.

And maybe rub Kenny’s awful, beautiful nose in all of it. 

Shortly thereafter Matt stands up, Kota’s kickpads and boots in a pile on the floor, his trunks left untouched. Nick stands as well and rids himself of both his shirt and shorts before helping Kota up.

“Okay, let’s get you into the shower,” Nick says, pushing Kota lightly.

“Don’t take too long, we want to have time to eat tonight,” Matt grins after them, taking the job of putting their bags in order.

Nick heaves an exaggerated sigh in Matt’s direction and steps into the shower stall, turning on the water. 

“You sure you’re okay? Not just physically, I mean,” Nick asks Kota.

He’s not but he nods anyway, dropping his trunks and ducking his head under the spray with Nick, who’s started lathering up his hands.

“Look,” Nick says, as he runs tickling, soapy fingers across Kota’s chest. “We might not be great for asking advice on stuff, but if you just need someone to talk at we’re here to listen, even if we can’t always understand.”

Kota watches Nick for a while before he speaks. “ _Okay._ ”

Nick’s brows furrow in concern at the short answer and he gives Kota a kiss on the cheek, hands resting on Kota’s hips.

Something about the kiss feels better than usual, and it’s not just the gesture. It feels good to have caused such concern in Nick. In Kenny’s Nick. 

They finish quickly after that, despite Matt’s earlier teasing, and Matt is waiting for them with their towels and clothes as they step out.

They’ve just gotten Kota dressed when Cody returns with Kenny. Matt tries to get up to meet them, but Kota stops him with a fist in his shirt again. Matt turns to him, hands rising in bewilderment, but Kota just looks at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Ibutan?” Kenny inquires, to which Kota answers by pushing Matt until he’s blocking the line of sight between them.

Kota keeps this up during the entirety of their time in the locker room, him keeping the Bucks within arm’s reach as a barrier between him and Kenny. It even continues into dinner, where he sits between them and makes sure they get distracted by something else as soon as they get into any sort of conversation with Kenny.

By the time they make it back to Kenny’s apartment Matt and Nick have resigned themselves to being pawns in Kota’s punishment of Kenny. They’ve only just closed the door behind them when Kota acknowledges Kenny for the first time.

“ _Kenny,_ ” he says. 

Kenny abandons untying his shoes and snaps his bowed head up. “ _Yes?_ ” In an instant his entire focus is on Kota, and the poisonous glare Kota’s got trained on him.

“ _Couch,_ ” The single word is enough to make Kenny crumple, and the Bucks flinch at how angry Kota sounds.

“Woah, hey,” Nick starts, while Kenny just says “ _yes_ ” quietly.

“C’mon, that’s a little harsh,” Matt says. He softens the words with a lopsided smile, but his brows are furrowed in concern.

“No, it’s okay.” Kenny reaches out to touch Matt’s arm, but Kota pulls Matt away with enough force to make him stumble and Kenny lets his arm fall limply back down to his side. “I probably deserve this.”

“It was a triple threat, he can’t be mad at you for stopping a pin attempt.” Nick is frowning, back straightening, but he’s still facing Kenny even if his eyes are on Kota. 

“ _Cody would be the one to get pinned. We decided on it._ ” He’s meeting Nick’s gaze, even though he must know that the Bucks won’t understand his longer sentences without Kenny translating.

“Yeah, um,” Kenny starts. “It’s more that I pinned him instead of Cody?”

“That's still-” Matt cuts himself off with a huff, seeming to think better of what he was going to say and settling for scowling at the back of Kota’s head. There’s a moment of tense silence, before Nicks shoulders slump.

“Okay, okay.” He concedes Kota’s point, turning to face him fully. “How about we compromise? Give us some time to talk to him and then we’ll come to bed with you, yeah?”

Kota studies him for a second before turning on his heel and marching further into the apartment. “ _Fine._ ”

Kenny sighs once Kota is out of sight, and Nick turns back to him, putting his hand on Kenny’s arm. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah,” Kenny busies himself with getting his shoes off to avoid having to look at Nick’s face. “It’s probably best to let him calm down.”

Nick nods slowly as he waits for Kenny to straighten up again before stepping in close.

“Alright,” he says, kissing Kenny’s temple briefly and stepping back again. “I’ll go get you some sheets.” He glances at Matt – who’s leaning against the wall with his arms crossed still scowling down the hallway after Kota – before shaking his head and disappearing around the corner.

Kenny touches Matt’s elbow hesitantly, and that pulls him into motion. Kenny follows him as he walks into the living room where he begins to pace in front of the sofa as Kenny sits down on it.

“Matt-”

“I don’t get why you just go along with everything he says.” Kenny is taken aback by the aggression in Matt’s voice.

“I-”

“Kenny, Nick and I would die for you, but that doesn’t mean we won’t call you out on your bullshit. So why can’t you call Ibushi out on his?”

When Kenny doesn’t answer Matt stops and turns to him, only to see him curled in on himself. Matt immediately crumbles, untying his hair to run his fingers through it before sitting down next to Kenny with a deep sigh.

“It’s just…” Matt searches for an appropriate word as he takes Kenny’s hand in his, “Frustrating.”

“I’m trying to make this work.” Kenny’s voice is quiet and distraught when he finally speaks, and Matt sighs again as he leans his head on Kenny’s shoulder.

“I know,” he says, brushing his thumb over Kenny’s knuckles. “But you’re gonna have to talk to him about your problems if you want it to.”

“You mean like we talk about our problems?” Kenny’s tone is light, but it still makes Matt tense up.

“Don’t,” he bites out. The two are left in stubborn silence until Nick steps into the room with a bundle of blankets in his arms.

He’s already dressed for sleeping, and he yawns as he puts the bedding down on the sofa. “I’m going to bed, don't stay up too late.”

Kenny nods, and Nick ruffles his hair slightly, smiling at him and Matt, before turning to leave again. “Night Kenny, love you.”

Kenny smiles after him, before nudging Matt slightly. “Come on, let’s get ready.”

They go through their evening rituals together in an easy quiet, and then they pause in the doorway to the bedroom. Kenny takes Matts hands in his.

“I really do love you,” he says, and Matt smiles slightly, leaning his forehead to Kenny’s.

“I love you too,” he answers, eyes soft. They stay like that for a minute, just revelling in the others closeness, before Kenny draws back reluctantly. Matt has to stop himself from following as they say good night, and he waits until Kenny disappears around the corner into the living room to turn and step into the bedroom.

He looks at Nick and Kota cuddled up together, Nick’s arm slung over Kota’s waist. After a moment he gets into bed on Kota’s other side and leaves enough room for another body in between them, but Kota’s hand finds his and he eventually moves closer with a heavy exhale, their sides touching.

They’ll make it work. For Kenny’s sake.

**Author's Note:**

> *bangs pot lids together* THE THREE-WAY MATCH SHOULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES AND THOSE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD BE ADRESSED


End file.
